Choosing a college major is both a fun and stressful process. College is a big investment, you want to make sure you major in something that is both interesting to you and will help you succeed post-college graduation.
Our complete guide to college majors will inform you on everything there is to know about college majors. We cover everything in this guide including:
- Trends
- Choosing a Major
- College Majors Quiz
- List of College Majors
- Easiest and Hardest College Majors
- Other Great Resources
We used data wherever it was available to help students make informed decisions about the best college major for themselves. The ultimate goal of this guide to college majors is to put students in the best position to make a decision about their college major.
Factors to Consider
Identify Interests
Identify what you are interested in is by far the most important factor when choosing a college major.
Majoring in something interesting to you will make studying and learning easier.
Trends
It is important to be realistic with yourself. Take a look at what jobs and industries are trending.
Identifying trends will help you pick a major that will help you succeed after graduation.
Income/Job Prospects
After you identify what you are interested in, check out some potential careers within that college major.
Does the college major have good job prospects? Are students getting hired after they graduate?
Options
Options are always great to have. Does your college major allow you to choose from multiple career paths?
Try not to pick a college major based on ONE job that you want. If there are other job opportunities, great – if not, maybe consider something else.
College Major Trends
Most Popular College Majors
Students tend to pick their major based solely on the financial side of things. Students will focus only on job availability, employment rates, and salaries and income. The chart below outlines the most popular majors among college graduates today, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The 10 most popular college majors are:
- Business Majors
- Health Professions
- Social Sciences and History
- Engineering
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences
- Psychology
- Communications
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Education
- Computer and Information Sciences
College Majors and Unemployment Rates
Nobody wants to enter a job market or industry where the unemployment rate is high. Different college majors have different unemployment rates. The chart below outlines unemployment rates by college major, according to the NCES. The college majors with the lowest unemployment rates are:
- Civil Engineering
- Education
- Computer Engineering
- Nursing
- Agriculture
- Anthropology
- Architecture
- Electrical Engineering
- Theology
- Health Professions
College Majors and Average Annual Income
Money is usually a big factor for students when looking at different college majors. While it should not be the only factor to consider, it definitely should be looked at. Our great friends at the National Center for Education Statistics have pulled income data from individuals ages 25-29 and paired it with their college major. The chart below will give students a better idea of what you can expect to make with different college majors. The college majors with the highest median annual earnings are:
- Electrical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Computer and Information Sciences
As you can see, it pays to major in engineering. Want to know which engineering majors are the hardest? Check out our rankings of the most challenging engineering majors.
Choosing a Major
Choosing a major involves many different factors, some of which we listed above. These factors can be divided into two main categories – personality and financial. Personality factors will vary greatly from person to person and depends on things like interests, upbringing, etc. Financial factors include things like salary, opportunities, and career outlook. Lets take a look at both groups of factors.
Personality Factors
Choosing something you enjoy doing is important when choosing a major. One problem for many students is they do not know everything that they enjoy doing. One way to figure this out is by figuring out your personality type. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test is a great way to learn more about your underlying interests, needs, values, and motivation.
The Myers-Briggs test separates people into 16 different categories of personalities – each category has a specific acronym. Lets take a look at what the letters stand for.
Extraversion (E) / Introversion (I)
Extroverts are more out-going and enjoy social interactions and interacting with others. Introverts tend to keep to themselves and enjoy meaningful interactions versus frequent interactions. It is not uncommon to identify as both an extrovert and introvert.
Sensing (S) / Intuition (N)
These two categories focus on how someone gathers information. Those who fall under the sensing category will focus on facts and look at the reality of situations. Those who fall under the intuition category focus on patterns and impressions – focusing on the future and various possibilities.
Thinking (T) / Feeling (F)
These categories focus on how people make decisions. Thinkers will consider facts, observations, and reality. Feelers will consider emotions of themselves and others when making decisions.
Judging (J) / Perceiving (P)
Judging and perceiving involves how people think. People who prefer judging are more firm in their decisions while those who perceive are usually more flexible in their decisions making process.
ISTJ – The Inspector
ISTP – The Crafter
ISFJ – The Protector
ISFP – The Artist
INFJ – The Advocate
INFP – The Mediator
INTJ – The Architect
INTP – The Thinker
ESTP – The Persuader
ESTJ – The Director
ESFP – The Performer
ESFJ – The Caregiver
ENFP – The Campaigner
ENFJ – The Giver
ENTP – The Debater
ENTJ – The Commander
Ball State University did an awesome study on students and which personalities matched best with different college majors. Check out which Myers-Briggs Personality types fit best with different college majors below. Take a Myers-Briggs Test or other personality tests here.
ISTJ – The Inspector
- Business
- Computer Science
- Health Science
- Criminal Justice
ISTP – The Crafter
- Business
- Pre-Law
- Biology
- Mechanical Engineering
ISFJ – The Protector
- Architecture
- Business
- Psychology
- Chemistry
ISFP – The Artist
- Health Science
- Pre-Med
- Modern Languages
- Social Work
INFJ – The Advocate
- Education
- Business
- Communications
- Nursing
INFP – The Mediator
- Education
- Athletic Training
- Journalism
- Biology
INTJ – The Architect
- Engineering
- Business
- Computer Science
- Mathematician
INTP – The Thinker
- Psychology
- Business
- Biology
- Sociology
ESTP – The Persuader
- Exercise Science
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- Journalism
ESTJ – The Director
- Business
- Pre-Med
- Construction Management
- Legal Studies
ESFP – The Performer
- Art
- Education
- Public Relations
- Music
ESFJ – The Caregiver
- Business
- Nursing
- Chemistry
- Social Work
ENFP – The Campaigner
- English
- Pre-Law
- Business
- Psychology
ENFJ – The Giver
- Psychology
- Education
- Health Science
- Sociology
ENTP – The Debater
- Pre-Law
- Business
- Journalism
- Criminal Justice
ENTJ – The Commander
- Business
- Political Science
- Biology
- Computer Information Systems
Ready to See What Your Best Fit Major Is?
Try Our College Major Quiz
See What Your Best Fit College Major Is
Financial Factors
After students take a look at their interest and personalities, it is time to look at some of the financial factors that come into play when choosing a major. We looked at median annual income for individuals between the ages of 25-29 above – lets take a look at something a little different. The chart below outlines the average entry level pay for different college majors, courtesy of PayScale.
College Majors List
Agriculture Majors
- Agriculture
- Agricultural Business
- Agricultural Mechanics
- Agricultural Production Operations
- Animal Sciences
- Horticulture
- Forestry
- Natural Resources Management
- Wildlife & Wildlands Management
Architecture Majors
- Architecture
- Interior Architecture
- Environmental Architecture
- Landscape Architecture
Multidisciplinary Studies Majors
- Asian Studies
- European Studies
- Latin America Studies
- North American Studies
- Ethnic and Minority Studies
- African American Studies
- Native American Studies
- Latino Studies
- Women’s Studies
Visual & Performing Arts Majors
- Art
- Art History
- Fine Arts
- Cinema/Film
- Film Production
- Dance
- Fashion
- Graphic Design
- Industrial Design
- Interior Design
- Music
- Music Composition
- Photography
- Theatre
Business Majors
- Accounting
- Business Management
- Business Analytics
- Hotel Management
- Human Resources
- International Business
- Logistics
- Marketing
- Operations
- Purchasing Management
- Restaurant Management
- Travel/Tourism
- Economics
- Finance
- Insurance and Risk
- Management Information Systems
- Real Estate
- Sales
- Sports Management
Communications Majors
- Communications
- Advertising
- Digital Communications
- Journalism
- Mass Communications
- Public Relations
- Radio & TV Broadcasting
- Communications Technology
- Animations and Special Effects
- Visual Communications
- Public Speaking
Community & Personal Service Majors
- Family & Consumer Sciences
- Adult Development
- Child Care Services
- Child Development
- Food & Nutrition
- Parks and Recreation
- Exercise Science
- Physical Education
- Culinary Arts
- Funeral Services
- Protective Services
- Corrections
- Criminal Justice
- Fire Protection
- Law Enforcement
- Public Administration
- Social Work
Computer and Math Majors
- Computer Information Sciences
- Computer Networking
- Computer Science
- Software
- Data Management
- Information Science
- Web Design
- Mathematics
- Applied Mathematics
- Statistics
Education Majors
- Counseling
- Education Administration
- Special Education
- Early Childhood Education
- Elementary Education
- Middle School Education
- Secondary Education
- ESL Education
Engineering Majors
- Aerospace Engineering
- Architectural Engineering
- Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Mineral Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
- Ocean Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
Language Majors
- English Literature
- Creative Writing
- Foreign Languages
- Asian Languages
- Ancient Languages
- Comparative Literature
- French
- German
- Linguistics
- Middle Eastern Languages
- Spanish
Health Sciences Majors
- Health Service Administration
- Dental Hygiene
- Pre-Dental
- EMT
- Athletic Training
- Communication Disorder Majors
- Public Health
- Medical Terminology
- Radiologic Technology
- Respiratory Therapy
- Surgical Technology
- Pre-Med
- Nursing (LPN)
- Nursing (BS/RN)
- Optometry
- Pharmacy
- Physician Assistant
- Therapy and Rehab
- Alcohol/Drug Counseling
- Massage Therapy
- Mental Health Counseling
- Physical Therapy
- Veterinary Medicine
Philosophy and Religion Majors
- Philosophy
- Religion
- Theology
- Biblical Studies
- Ministry
- Religious Education
Biological Science Majors
- Biology
- Biochemistry
- Cellular Biology
- Ecology
- Genetics
- Marine Biology
- Microbiology
- Zoology
- Physical Sciences
- Astronomy
- Meteorology
- Chemistry
- Earth Sciences
- Physics
Social Science Majors
- Legal Studies
- Court Reporting
- Pre-Law
- Legal Assistant
- Social Sciences
- Anthropology
- Criminology
- Geography
- History
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Urban Studies
How Difficult are Certain College Majors?
Our team used data from some of the top institutions in the country to rank different college majors. See where your college major falls on our difficulty list. Try our college major quiz to see what your best fit major is.
Other Great Resources
| Resource | Description |
| Resources for Colleges Students | Our ultimate list of every resource a college student will ever need on campus. Tons of great finds on this list. |
| College Packing List | Make sure you have everything you need when heading off to school. |
| Internships for Business Majors | Our team talks about some ideas to secure an internship as a business major. |
| Why Major in Business? | Ever wonder why so many students decide to major in business? Read about some of the pros of majoring in business. |
| Why Major in Accounting? | Heard the horror stories about majoring in accounting? Its not all bad. |
| Online Degrees | Our complete guide to online degrees. Everything you need to know about learning online. |
| Business Major Requirements | Learn about all the different requirements and classes you will need to take as a business major. |
| Best Online Colleges and Universities | Check out our rankings of the best online colleges and universities in the United States. |